Feeding apparatus



A. L. BAUSMAN.

FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICAUON FILED JULY 19, 1919.

1,387,584. Patented Apr. 20,1920.

ATTORNEYS.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN, GF

CEICGPEE, IVIA$EAGEUSETTS, ASSIGNGR TO NATIONAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, SPEINGFIELE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MIASSACHUSETTS.

Original application filed March 8,

g apparatus and, more particularly, ding apparatus for use in connection with ed-using and refining apparatus of the character set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 281,515, filed March 8, 1919, of which this application is a divison.

As set forth in the above-identified application, the reducing apparatus is of the disk type, having a central disk relatively rotatable between two adjacent disks, all the disks having t eir adjacent faces suitably contoured to enect the reducing function on the materia fen thereto, such as cocoa nibs or the like for example.

The object of this invention is to provide in combination with a reducer, or like machine, a feedin apparatus which is designed to deliver equal measured quantities of the material to and between each of the pairs of cooperating reducing disk faces of the reducer.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide two spaced hoppers arranged on opposite sides of the reducer and each arranged to deliver the material to and between a pair of cooperating reducing disks, together with an oscillatory measuring hopper to supply measured quantities of the material alternately to the first-named hoppers.

@ther objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a reducing apparatus with the improved feeding apparatus applied thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view thereof.

Referring to these drawings, the reducer is of a known type and one known as the disk type. It includes two axially spaced stationary disks 5 and an intermediate rotatable disk 6. The adjacent and cooperat- Specification of Letters Patent.

1919, Serial No. 281,515.

FEEDING AI' ER-ATUS.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Divided and this application filed July 19,

Serial NO. 312,948.

ing faces of disks 5 and 6 are suitably contoured, in known manner, for the purpose of reducing the cocoa nibs. The disk 6 is shaft '7 which may be bly fixed to i en by suitabl m ans not shown.

Refer ing now to Fig. 2, each disk 5 has .1, ure 8 therein, through which the m ri l is fed to and between its reducing face and the adjacent cooperating reducing face of disk 6. Associated with each disk 5 is a stationary"hopper or chute 9, the outlet 10 of which communicates with an aperture 8. Preferably, there is provided with each hopper 9" a loosening and agitatin device which comprises a reciprocable pusn rod 11 movable in the outlet 10 of the hopper. Each push rod 11 is suitably mounted for sliding movement in its iopper 9 and has a pin and slot connection 12 with a lever 13 which is lined on a shaft 14. Also fixed on each shaft 1 is second lever 15 and the two vers 15 are connected by a link 16 so that swii movement of one produces a corresponding movement of the other. One lever 15 (the left hand one as viewed in Fig. 1) is also connected by a link 17 to the short arm of a bell crank lever 18 pivoted at 19, and the oth r arm of the lever is connected by link 20 to a crank pin 21 fixed eccentrically on the face of gear 22. The latter is driven by a gear 23 from the drive shaft 7 already described.

The measuring hopper 2 1 is attached to two spared arms 25, which are pivoted at their lower ends on a rod 21, and one of such arms is connected by a link 26 to a crank 27 on the described shaft 14. Thus, the hopper is oscillated about the pivot rod 21 by the same means which reciprocate rods 11. Below hopper is an arcuate member 28 which is curved from the pivot 21 as a center and which has spaced upstanding flanges 29. The lower and outlet end of hopper 24:

rides between the flanges with the front and rear walls thereof in closely adjacent relation with the flanges. The sides of the hopper are apertured as at 30, and the effective size of their apertures is controlled by adjustable gates 31. Thus, the flow from hopper 24 onto the member 28 may be controlled.

In operation, the hopper as is oscillated whenever the reducing disk 6 is driven and swings back and forth between the hoppers 9 and alternately discharges to the latter substantially equal charges of the material to be reduced.

- The inventon has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present preferred, for the purposes of illustration, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

lVhat I claim is 1. In apparatus of the class described,

two members having reducing surfaces on their adjacent faces, an element intermediate said members and having reducing surfaces on each face to cooperate with the firstnamed faces in reducing material fed therebetween, spaced hoppers from which material is supplied between the reducing faces of said element and members, and an oscillatory measuring hopper to supply measured charges of material alternately to the firstnamed hoppers.

2. In a device of the character indicated, in combination, a reducing element in the character of a disk, a feeding hopper on each side of said disk and arranged to deliver material thereto, and a measuring device for delivering material to the feeding hoppers, such'device including an arcuate Wall having its ends each in discharging relation to paid feeding hoppers, a hopper having its outlet arranged to discharge upon said Wall and means for oscillating such hopper about said Wall.

3. In a device of the character indicated, in combination, a grinding element in the character of a disk, a main hopper presenting a pair of hopper portions with its elements arranged each at a respective side of said disk to discharge thereto, a driven agitator for each hopper portion, a driven measuring device for discharging materialto said hopper portions, and a common means for driving said agitators and said measuring device.

4;. In a device of the character indicated in combination, a grinding element in the character of a disk, feeding hoppers arranged one on each side of said element, reciprocable agitators arranged one in each hopper for reciprocation toward and from the outlet thereof, mechanism for reciprocating said agitators, an oscillatable measuring hopper for alternately discharging into said hoppers, and mechanism for oscillating said measuring hopper, said mechanisms including interrelated parts common to both and whereby both mechanisms are actuated in unison, and means for driving such parts.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN. 

